Alpine Camp for Boys

June 11th - At Home - 1:00 AM

I'm not really sure what my reasoning is for keeping a record, or diary, or whatever you might want to call it of this summer, but for some reason I want to do it. I don't know who, besides myself if anyone at all - will ever read this, but please do not be too critical of the grammar or spelling. I'm not going to worry about it, so why should you?

Perhaps I'm writing it because I hope some of my friends might like to glance over it and see how this summer was for me day by day. I'm sure it's also because I'm so sentimental, and I want something to remember this summer by because I know it's going to be such a wonderful experience. I guess I also hope that by writing this thing I'll be able to gain something extra that I might not gain if I didn't write it. I want to be able to look back and possibly see how and if I grow and change. I suppose it's fairly obvious that I do anticipate something to happen to my life - I hope so anyway. Oh well, we'll see later on today when it all gets started.

June 11th - At Alpine - 10:30 PM

From now on I'll probably be writing about this time for convenience sake. This camp is out - of - site. Besides the campgrounds themselves being so beautiful, the staffers are tremendous. I've met some fine people. Before Camp's over I hope to know some of them very well, especially Tom Johnson and Terry Jones. They both seem extra sharp. Of course that pretty much depends on which cabins we all live in. Oh well, I'll just have to see as time goes on. It's going to be great.

June 12th - 11:00 PM

Today was fine. It started off just a little chilly. It gets flat cold here at night. They say it will be warmer later in the summer. Of course, the bed is absolutely wretched. It would sag to the floor if I didn't have my foot locker beneath it. I wonder what it's doing to that, however. I'm almost afraid to look. I got to see more of the Camp today, especially the river. It gets more and more gorgeous. I wish Bill were here. We started getting the Camp in shape to day. Me and a couple of other fellows have to get the basketball courts in shape. That's quite a job. We're going to fix them with that tennis court stuff that looks like tiny gray gravel. I know what to call it, but won't try to spell it. We're also getting mentally prepared for the Camp. They've got a couple of good speakers. One of them will be here all summer and the other leaves Monday.

June 14th - 11:50 PM

This was really a good day, but I'll have to keep my account short because I'm extremely tired. We worked very hard today and will do so again tomorrow. Tonight we had a picnic on top of the mountain overlooking a very beautiful canyon. It was gorgeous. Now there are so many stars in the sky that it's almost more white than it is blue. I saw my first falling star tonight. I also took over the lead in the 1st Annual Alpine Camp Golf Tournament at Mary's Carpet Golf. I shot a 3 under par 42. I should have done better. I really choked the last three holes. I've got to rack now. I was really dead this morning. Imagine how I'll feel tomorrow.

June 16th - 10:30PM

Today was another average day as far as work goes. We did receive our permanent cabin assignments. I was shocked and flattered to discover I had been put in with the oldest boys. Richard Bailey and I live in the "dorm" which is supposedly the resort of Camp. It does have its own double bathroom which will be nice and we have a desk of sorts. There are two main rooms with 8 sacks in each. Richard and I are in a small room between them. It is really pretty nice yet extremely rustic. I have a much better mattress now. I'm also going to enjoy very much living with Richard. He's a wonderful person, and I'll enjoy getting to know more about him. He is going to be teaching Nature.

June 19th - 10:00 PM - Opening Day

This will be very short. I've got to get my light out so the campers will sleep. I've got a good group. One boy, Jim Taylor, has been separated from most of his friends and is a little unhappy. I've made a good impression on him, though, and I hope we can fix everything. All the campers I've met seem fine. I was awfully tired today to be at my best, but I did okay.

June 21st -10:20 PM

Well, we had our first regular day of Camp today. Things went pretty well. I got exhausted during my six hours of football in the hot sun. That sun simply saps my energy. It burns my eyes. Everyone likes my blue sun glasses. I'm having trouble with cabin inspection. Richard's cabin has beaten us both days so far. We're just going to have to get on the stick I guess. I hate to lose in anything. I agree with Bo Cannon - a good loser is a loser. If you can brush a defeat off without thinking twice about it, you'll get in the habit of losing and pretty soon that's all you'll be doing. Of course, you should always be a good sport, a gracious loser, and never let a loss hold you down for too long a period of time. Good grief, what's gotten into me? I'm not giving a talk to the campers now. That was this afternoon.

June 24th - 12:33 AM

This must really be short as I'm exhausted. I had my first night out tonight. I am so happy. I love my fellow staffers so much. They are just great. We went to Chattanooga for a delicious steak dinner then played Goofy Golf (what else). I was much better in my activities today but I dread tomorrow. Maybe it will rain. I pray!

June 24th -10:00 PM

Well, it didn't rain today, but once I got up things weren't bad at all. As a matter of fact I was very lively today. During my off period I even played wiffle ball. We won, of course. I'm in an awfully cocky mood right now. I'm not sure why. I'm really happy because Jim Taylor participated tonight for the first time in our sentence prayers after our cabin devotional. I really like him a lot and would like to help him. He's unhappy about something, but I don't want to turn him off. He's really intelligent and right now he'd do anything I say (Maybe he's not so intelligent after all).

June 26th - 11:30 PM

I can't understand it. I wasn't particularly tired today though I should have been. Today was good but nothing exciting happened. We had a really good devotional period tonight and after it was over several of the boys talked to me for a long time. They're fine boys. My first week with them has been really fast. Oh, by the way; we finally won cabin inspection today. When they announced it I literally went bananas. I threw the book I was holding in the air, then my shoes, then my shirt, screaming all the time. My campers didn't even care, but I wanted to win badly, so badly that I even dreamed about cabin inspection last night. I suppose I'd call it a nightmare because - you guessed it - we lost.

June 29th - 9:40 PM

I walked around in a daze all day today. I was totally exhausted. That's not good since I have to stay up all night tonight. One of the chiefs is nominated for "Great Son". In order to achieve this rank, he must keep a fire going all night (with wet wood), read scriptures assigned by a counselor (me), and meditate on them, and tomorrow he is under a silence ban all day long. I'm going to go with him tonight. We'll be in the woods somewhere. Great! He's really a great kid who has been searching for some answers lately. I hope I can help him tonight. I couldn't have a better opportunity. I know why they call us counselors now. I've been doing quite a bit of counseling lately. Every night after devotionals the kids come to my bed with questions. I hope I'm helping them somehow. I love them all.

June 30th - 5:00 PM

Last night was a wonderful night. The stars were beautiful, and I think we both felt God's presence with us. I was really tired today, though. I fell asleep during rest period and woke up late this afternoon when some camper came in and asked if he could leave a snake in our cabin for Bailey. I looked up to see a 2 1/2 foot king snake wrapped around his arm about six inches from my head. He must have been able to tell by the look on my face what I was going to say because before I had time to scream he was on his way out fast.

July 4th - 10:50 PM

I can't write long tonight because the campers are restless. I really wish I could write tonight because I'm not tired and we get to sleep until 8:00 AM tomorrow. We're celebrating July 4th and it's Lazy Day. Today was a good day. Since it is Sunday it was relatively restful. The weather was beautiful. This afternoon we had a good, but brief, staff basketball game, then a softball game with the campers. For our devotional tonight after vespers we just "rapped" together. I hate the word rap. It's so overused, but that's what they called it. These boys are so hungry for knowledge of Christ and His teachings that it's hard to satisfy them all. Well, I'll do what I can with God as my strength and let Him take it from there.

July 8th - 12:30 AM

Today is John Roger's birthday. I bought him a ring at the washateria. This must be short tonight because I have to hurry and pull the covers up to my head. We've been on the dock telling ghost stories, and I'm spooked. I had to whistle back to the cabin to keep the monsters away. Then that idiot dog Princess scraped the outside of our cabin and scared me green.

July 8th - 10:45 PM

It rained again today. Great Scott! How long can it last? Please don't rain tomorrow. Everyone's excited about going to Six Flags. Today during my free period I went with Jeff Gilbert and 4 campers (chiefs) up the river in canoes to go blueberry picking. We had a fantastic time, and we'll have blueberry cobbler Saturday. Tonight after everyone was in bed Jim Taylor came to my room to talk. I think he has really felt God's presence here and has Him in his heart. Tears filled his eyes as he told me how much he loves God. He's now very concerned about his good friend, another camper, and his relationship to God. I'm so excited. I love that boy something fierce. I'll really miss him when he leaves. I can't believe they'll be leaving a week from tomorrow. It seems they've just gotten here. I'm really dreading that last day when I have to tell everybody good-bye. I'm sure I'll cry.

July 15th - 12:30 AM

Today was another relatively uneventful day. We had a pretty cool thunder storm during rest period. Of course, I missed a lot of it because I fell asleep. Poor Jimmy Shaw was talking to me last night, and I fell asleep while he was talking. Tonight for the first time I really started feeling low about the campers leaving. I can't believe, the first session is already over. Everything I can remember about this place from the first day I got here seems like it happened yesterday. I dread saying good-bye to my fellow staffers in four more weeks.

July 15th -11:30 PM

Well, I feel simply terrible. I'm never able to express to anyone how I feel at times like these so there's no need to try and write it. I feel terribly hollow, though. I'll really miss all these jokers even though they have been a regular pain at times. They've been a blessing also, and I'm sure that is how I will always remember them. I think it should be noted that it rained today. Only fitting since it rained most of the session. I surely hope it's not raining while we're loading trucks and buses tomorrow. I'm leaving with the first load at seven o'clock. I'm chaperoning the campers returning to Memphis. We will go by chartered bus to Birmingham and fly to Memphis. I'm glad I'll miss most of the good-byes. I'll also be getting home by 11:00 AM. I'm glad of that. I imagine I'll have to get my hair cut before dinner time tomorrow night.

August 17th - At Home -11:45 PM

As always when I write this thing, I'm exhausted. I've finished reading over the whole thing and am extremely glad I kept up with it. It was rough at times, but now it was worth it. There were some things I said that I wish I could take back, but I guess they're a good indication of how I felt when I wrote them, and that's what I was looking for. I still can't believe my summer at Alpine is over. It all seems so short. It was an experience I know I'll never forget. I did learn and grow a great deal while there, and I guess the summer can pretty well be summed up with a poem that was in our Staff Handbook.

I helped a little child to see
That God had made a willow tree,
And He became more real to me.
I tried to lead a child through play
To grow more Christlike every day,
And as we bowed in worship there
I felt anew God's loving care.
Lord, keep us ever quick to see
By guiding children we find Thee.